More than 250 New Jersey municipalities have finalized with the courts and housing advocates plans that detail how many affordable homes they are allotting within their borders and where these units could be built.

Not all of the proposed developments will happen. Towns are not obligated to build all the housing, they simply need to allow for its construction. It's not clear how many may be built as there is no longer a state agency overseeing the process.

This year, for the first time in more than a decade, a New Jersey governor has proposed depositing the full amount of fees received — about $60 million — into the state Affordable Housing Trust Fund in recognition of the need for more affordable housing.

At this NJ Spotlight roundtable experts will look briefly at the history of the affordable housing issue in New Jersey — from the Mount Laurel decisions to the current court process — and dive deeply into:

Where we are today regarding the state's need for more affordable homes

How many more municipalities need to draft plans and how many units are planned?

How many homes are actually likely to be built? Where and when? Who's going to pay for them?

What are the prospects of the state retaking control of the process?

Attendees may submit questions for consideration in advance of the event as part of the registration process.

Panelists:

Staci Berger, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Housing and Community Development Network of NJ

You are cordially invited to our annual meeting and dinner. Please see details below:

Monday, May 20, 2019

Salt Creek Grille at Princeton Forrestal Village (Route 1 south, near the Westin hotel). Parking is conveniently located near the restaurant.

6:00 to 6:30 p.m. - annual meeting, for members only. Documents to be voted upon will be sent out prior to the meeting.6:30 to 8:30 p.m. - dinner and guest speaker

Guest speaker: Sean Wilentz, the George Henry Davis Professor of American History at Princeton University

Topic: Slavery and its Opponents at America's Founding

Professor Wilentz's primary research interests include U.S. social and political history. He has written numerous award-winning books and articles including, most notably, The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln, which was awarded the Bancroft Prize and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His work on slavery was the basis for his book No Property in Man, a radical reconstruction of the founders’ debate over slavery and the Constitution in which the founders abided slavery without legitimizing it. A contributing editor to The New Republic and a member of the editorial boards of Dissent and Democracy, Professor Wilentz lectures frequently and has written some three hundred articles, reviews, and op-ed pieces for publications such as the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Review of Books, the London Review of Books, the American Scholar, and The Nation. He earned a B.A. at Columbia University and also at Oxford University (Balliol College), and an M.A. and Ph.D. at Yale University. Professor Wilentz is currently on sabbatical from Princeton University, returning this autumn.

Cost: $42 per person, with cash barPlease make your check payable to: The LWV of the Princeton Area and mail check to:LWV of the Princeton AreaPO Box 253Kingston, NJ 08528

Please mail your check by May 14th. New members and guests are welcome to join us for an enjoyable evening!

The 63rd Biennial Convention of the League of Women Voters of New Jersey

Saturday, May 4, 2019, 8 am - 4 pm

The Imperia, Somerset, NJ

Join the League of Women Voters of New Jersey for our Biennial State Convention featuring:

Morning breakfast and networking, inspirational speeches, and the opportunity to inform decisions that will impact the future of the organization.

Training sessions, specifically designed to strengthen our grassroots engagement and Get out the Vote efforts ahead of the 2019 General election.

The business of voting on program, nominations, bylaws, and the budget.

Lunch Ceremony featuring awards honoring our 50 year members and outstanding achievements by local Leagues, and keynote address by Ari Berman.

Ari Berman is a senior reporter at Mother Jones covering voting rights and a reporting fellow at Type Media Center. Rachel Maddow calls him “the best reporter in the country on national voting rights issues.” He is the winner of a 2017 Izzy Award for outstanding achievement in independent media and Business Insider named him one of the 50 most influential political pundits in the US. He is the author of Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America. Give Us the Ballot was named a Best Book of the Year by NPR, The Boston Globe and Kirkus Reviews and Notable Book of the Year by both The New York Times Book Review and The Washington Post. It was a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist. Berman has written extensively about American politics, civil rights, and the intersection of money and politics. His stories have also appeared in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and The Guardian, and he is a frequent guest and commentator on MSNBC and NPR. His first book was Herding Donkeys: The Fight to Rebuild the Democratic Party and Reshape American Politics.

Registration: Registration is available online at https://bit.ly/2ETMyYZ. You can register for Convention only ($110), for the Convention and Cocktail Reception combined ($200), or for Convention lunch only ($45). You will need to indicate if you are a delegate or a non-voting guest when you register. If you do not want to pay online, you can send a check to LWVNJ, 204 West State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608. There is a hotel block available until April 3rd – details are below and on the registration link.

Delegate information:

All members and supporters of the League of Women Voters of New Jersey are invited to the Convention. However, only delegates will be permitted to vote on League business. Please contact your local League president about serving as a voting delegate for your League. If your local League delegation is full, or you are a League member that is not part of a local League but wish to serve as a voting delegate, please contact Pat Thompson at contact@lwvnj.org.

Hotel information:

A room block has been reserved at the Springhill Suites Somerset Marriott, 10 Cedar Grove Lane, Somerset, under the name League of Women Voters of New Jersey. Double/queen room cost is $125 and includes hot breakfast and shuttle service to/from the Imperia. Call 732-595-5100 or go online here to make your reservations by April 3rd.

Register by Monday, April 15, 2019. We look forward to an energizing and productive state Convention!

Thursday, April 11, 7:30DeCorso Community Center15 East 4th Street, New Providence, NJ 07974

Dr. David Robinson, Presenter

As the New Jersey State Climatologist, Dr. Robinson has conducted research of an applied nature that focuses on the diverse weather and climate of the Garden State. This includes topics such as climate change, drought, flooding, and issues involving agriculture, transportation, public safety and commerce. He has also served on a number of national committees and occasionally publishes on issues related to his interest in the collection and archiving of accurate climatic data.

League moderators committed to providing unbiased debates are in high demand! Will you help us provide this vital service to New Jersey voters? Join us for an introduction to becoming a trained League of Women Voters of New Jersey Moderator; the first required step.

Location:DeCorso Community Center15 E 4th St., New Providence, NJ 07974Cost: $10 to cover the cost of materials; payable at the door.Register: Please RSVP to Pat Thompson at contact@lwvnj.org by April 10, 2019.

Have you taken a moderator training already, but could use some more guidance? This is a practice review for beginning and experienced moderators. We will include some role playing to help build confidence, improve your moderating skills, and teach you how you can effectively navigate difficult situations.

Cost: $10 to cover the cost of materials; payable at the door.Register: Please RSVP to Pat Thompson at contact@lwvnj.org by April 24, 2019